Bicycle repair and maintenance for the regular bike rider. No frills here but the basic stuff everybody needs to know that can help you save money and have fun. So from where ever you are on this planet, read on,fix it, get on your bike and ride!

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Monday, November 08, 2010

STORING YOUR BIKE FOR THE WINTER

I've already published a post about bike storage previously and I invite you to read it here: WINTER BIKE STORAGE.

But over the week end it was time for me to store away my big cargo bike "Jenna Saykwa" and the shear size of it prohibits storage indoors. Off to the shed she must go for the winter months. The humid plywood shed that is.

Since I can't store the entire bike inside the warmth of my family dwelling, I elected to remove some parts that would stay warm inside for those cold weather months.

I used to ride junk bikes made from junk parts, but this one has a nice Brooks leather saddle and an expensive set of cream Schwalbe Fat franks that cost me over $100 for the set. I don't know why, maybe some of you more enlightened about the subject can comment on this, but tires left outside in the cold too long seem to become biodegradable and just rot away.

So I think I made a smart move by getting these parts indoors. I know for a fact that the leather saddle should be treated as if it was a living thing, after all it is made from real cows and it doesn't fair too well when exposed for too long to humid conditions. As far as tires go, I've seen my fair share of rotten ones and I feel that bringing those inside would at the very least not be harmful.

One last thing, I turned the handlebars and removed the pedals so I could make it melt into the wall. Space is at a premium in my shed! I played it smart and left the pedals in the saddle bag. That is the best way to avoid going around like a mad man trying to find them 5 months from now on the first nice sunny day begging to be ridden. It's also a good time to oil your chain and look over the bike for potential problems for next spring.

I know that I have a full bottom bracket rebuild waiting for me next April, nice.

It IS a sweet ride Gerry. I can see why you want to help preserve those skins.I'm not sure how much cold will affect the rubber. I have two sets of tires, one set winter knobbies and one set summer slicks. I swap them back and forth every spring and fall. These have been around for 7 years and I ride daily. When the knobbies are on the bike it gets stored in an unheated garage then ridden to work and spends the day in a very warm boiler room. So minus 20 to plus 90 daily. No signs of cracking or deterioration. I did notice the knobs are wearing down about half what they used to be but still enough to be good. Maybe next year a new set. The slicks are still in very good shape. I don't use any kind of tire prep other than a wipe once a year with a dry rag maybe dampened with a bit of varsol. I tried a tire prep once on the slicks and didn't like it. But that said I do store my off season tires indoors.

About Me

I'm a guy with a passion for bicycles, plastic models and general homebuilt mayhem of all sorts. I wish to share my knowledge with the world and help you out in the process. I live in Canada – the best country in the world for cyclists but don’t just take it from me, book yourself some holidays to Canada and see for yourself!